Steven Summers was born in 1914. He lived in South Bend, Indiana In May, 1941, he married Clara Gertrude Buwa, who was from Monterey, Indiana. Their daughter Dorothy Marie Summers was born on June 16, 1945.

Summers served in the United States Army, 879th Ordnance Regiment, Company Q during World War II. He was ordered to report for induction on June 23, 1942. He was certified in basic automotive mechanics while in the Army, although he did work as an auto repairman during his civilian life before the war. He was stationed in various places during the war, including Illinois, California, and Arkansas. In 1945, he served in France and visited Paris. While in France, his daughter Dorothy was born. He received a letter on February 6, 1946 from the chairman of his local Selective Service board notifying him that he had completed his period of service.

During some of Summers’ service time, Clara lived with Steven’s mother, father, and dog Bouncer in South Bend. While living here, Clara wrote Steven almost every day during parts of 1942 and 1943. In July 1943, Clara lived with Steven off-base near Banning, California before returning to South Bend. Clara worked for a number of companies around South Bend during the war, including Bendix Appliance.

Steven’s brother, Rudy, lived in South Bend for a time and corresponded with Steven. A topic Rudy often mentions in his letters is the status of their sister Olga’s grave, which he regularly maintained and sometimes sent pictures of.